ESCI 335 - Paleoclimatology

Semester Offered: Fall
1 unit(s)

(Same as ENST 335) In recent decades, record high temperatures and extreme weather events have led scientists and policy makers to grapple with the fact that human activities are affecting the climate system. At the same time, scientists have come to realize that climate is capable of dramatic shifts in the absence of human intervention. The science of paleoclimatology seeks to understand the extent and causes of natural climatic variability in order to establish the baseline on top of which anthropogenic changes are occurring. In this course, we examine the structure and properties of the oceans and atmosphere and how the general circulation of these systems redistributes heat throughout the globe; study how cycles in Earth’s orbital parameters, plate tectonics, changes in ocean circulation, and the evolution of plants have affected climate; and explore the different lines of evidence used to reconstruct climate history from the Paleozoic through the Little Ice Age. We also undertake a semester-long project on a sediment core from a local lake or bog for the purpose of paleoclimatic reconstruction. Using proxies such as pollen, plant macrofossils, diatoms, and sediment chemistry and mineralogy, we explore the climate history of the Hudson Valley region since retreat of the Laurentide ice sheet. Kirsten Menking.

Prerequisite(s): 200-level work in Earth Science or permission of the instructor.

Recommended: Students who have taken BIOL 208, and/or BIOL 241 are particularly encouraged to speak to the instructor about adding the course if they have not done 200-level work in Earth Science.

One 4-hour period.

Course Format: INT